How is cervical cancer treated?
The type of treatment you will need depends on the stage of your cancer, as well as your overall health, age, and preferences. Typically, early-stage cervical cancer is one of the most treatable cancers. At MedStar Health, we provide the full range of cervical cancer treatments ranging from various surgical options, including minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery, to radiation and chemotherapy. A multidisciplinary team of specialists will work closely to determine your best options and help you feel confident in making the right decision for you. Our cervical cancer treatment options are available throughout the Washington D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and Virginia areas.
Treatment options
Surgery
Surgery plays a role in diagnosing, staging, and treating cervical cancer. There are times when surgery is not the recommended treatment and chemotherapy with radiation can be a treatment. Your doctor will obtain information from tissue biopsy, physician exam and imaging to determine the next best steps in treatment.
- Precancer surgery: If you have dysplasia or signs of pre-cancer, your doctors may remove abnormal tissue using a LEEP or conization procedure or through ablation involving cold temperatures or a laser.
- Simple hysterectomy: When cancer is contained to the cervix, your doctors may recommend a hysterectomy. This procedure involves removing the entire cervix and uterus. Our gynecologic oncologists are highly experienced in performing these using minimally invasive techniques, such as laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery, whenever possible. As a result, many patients benefit from less pain, shorter hospital stays, fewer risks, and faster recoveries.
- Radical hysterectomy: For larger tumors, your surgeon may recommend a radical hysterectomy which involves removing nearby lymph nodes or tissue surrounding the uterus and cervix in addition to both of those organs. When appropriate, this procedure can also often be performed using laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery.
- Trachelectomy: For women who wish to still have the option of having children, your doctor may discuss whether or not you are a candidate for a trachelectomy, or fertility-sparing surgery. It involves partially removing the cervix while keeping the rest of the uterus in place.
- Pelvic exenteration: Exenteration is an extensive surgery that may be recommended in specific instances of recurrent disease. It involves removing the same organs removed in a radical hysterectomy as well as the bladder and rectum, requiring your surgeon to reroute urine and/or waste.
Chemotherapy
Some women with advanced or recurrent disease may benefit from chemotherapy. Chemotherapy involves injecting cancer-fighting drugs into a vein or taking a pill to kill cancerous cells anywhere in the body. These medications may also help to alleviate any cervical cancer symptoms and help preserve your quality of life. At MedStar Health, we have access to the most advanced chemotherapies available and will recommend them when appropriate for you.
Immunotherapy and targeted therapy
Targeted therapies are emerging treatment options that use medicines to harness the power of a person's own immune system to identify and control cancer cells. Thanks to advances made available through clinical trials, we continue investigating the role of these therapies in treating cervical cancer, including the use of immunotherapy in women whose cancer has not responded to standard therapies.
Learn More About Immunotherapy
Learn More About Targeted Therapy
Radiation therapy
Radiation may be recommended to treat tumors larger than 4 cm that have begun to invade other organs or cancer that has returned. In some instances, it may be used in place of surgery or after surgery. At MedStar Health, our radiation oncologists have the expertise and technology necessary for precisely delivering radiation while limiting damage to healthy tissues. Several types of radiation therapy may be used to treat this type of cancer, including the following:
- Internal radiation (brachytherapy) uses a device that is placed inside the woman's vagina and uterus to deliver the radiation directly to the tumor over four to five treatments.
- External radiation beams radiate from a large machine into the pelvic region where the cancer is located. One way this is delivered is through intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which allows your doctor to customize the intensity of radiation delivered based on the size and shape of your tumor.
Looking for expert cancer care
With multiple locations throughout the region, patients have access to many of the nation’s renowned cancer specialists offering high-quality care, second opinions, and a chance for better outcomes close to where they live and work. Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the nation’s comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), serves as the research engine allowing patients access to clinical trials that often lead to breakthroughs in cancer care.
Our providers
Location: Change location Enter your location
Gynecologic Oncology
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Charles Russell Boice, MD
Gynecologic Oncology
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Louis Alan Dainty, MD
Gynecologic Medical Oncology & Gynecologic Oncology
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Charlotte Ruth Gamble, MD, MPH
Gynecologic Oncology
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Ebony R. Hoskins, MD
Gynecologic Oncology
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Irina Tunnage, DO
Gynecologic Oncology
Show All Gynecologic Oncology
Radiation Oncology
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Katherine S Chen, MD
Radiation Oncology
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Sonali Rudra, MD
Radiation Oncology
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Andrew Satinsky, MD
Radiation Oncology
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Paul Byron Fowler, MD
Radiation Oncology
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Kelly E. Orwat, MD
Radiation Oncology
Show All Radiation Oncology
Our locations
Distance from Change locationEnter your location
MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
3800 Reservoir Rd. NW Washington, DC 20007
MedStar Franklin Square Cancer Center at Loch Raven Campus
5601 Loch Raven Blvd. Russell Morgan Building First Floor Baltimore, MD 21239
MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Health Bel Air Medical Campus
12 MedStar Blvd. Ste. 180 Bel Air, MD 21015
MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
9103 Franklin Square Dr. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Cancer Institute Suite 220 Baltimore, MD 21237
MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital
7501 Surratts Rd. Ste. 101 Clinton, MD 20735
MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving Street, NW Washington, D.C., 20010
MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
25500 Point Lookout Rd. First Fl. Leonardtown, MD 20650
MedStar Health: MedStar Georgetown Cancer Institute at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
18105 Prince Philip Dr. TG100 Olney, MD 20832
Why choose us
As a patient at MedStar Health, you'll benefit from compassionate, multidisciplinary care from specialists who personalize your care using the latest, research-backed treatments.
We offer expert gynecologic cancer care, close to home. With several locations throughout the Maryland and Washington, D.C. region, our patients don't have to travel far for state-of-the-art care for cervical cancer. Our gynecologic oncologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, nurse practitioners, radiologists, pathologists, and other providers closely collaborate to determine the best possible treatment options for each patient, including those with complex or advanced cancers.
Our cervical cancer doctors are exceptionally experienced in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. Surgery often plays a prominent role in treatment for these cancers, and it's crucial to choose surgeons with significant skill and expertise in operating on these delicate structures. In addition to expertise in open surgery, our gynecologic oncologists have collectively performed hundreds of minimally invasive surgeries using laparoscopic and robotic-assisted techniques that result in less pain, shorter hospital stays, and faster recoveries. We strive to offer the most effective, least invasive surgical options, including fertility-sparing surgeries, whenever possible.
You'll gain access to an entire network of specialists who can help you achieve the highest quality of life. Your patient-centered care involves input from experts in several different specialties to ensure you're aware of all of the possible treatment options, as well as the pros and cons of each. Following treatment, we also work closely with other physicians to help manage any side effects that impact your quality of life, with special emphasis on caring for your urinary and sexual health. This often involves coordination with experts in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery who are skilled at addressing complex pelvic floor complications after cancer treatment.
Awards & recognition
Recipient of an Accreditation with Commendation, the highest level of approval, from the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer (CoC)
Numerous surgeons, medical oncologists, and surgical oncologists recognized as "Top Doctors" by both Baltimore Magazine and the Washingtonian
Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Support services
At MedStar Health, your care continues even after you've completed cancer treatment. We're committed to helping you thrive in every way, offering access to specialized care for any treatment symptoms or side effects. You'll benefit from seamless coordination of care to experts in urinary and sexual health, fertility, gastroenterology, and more to address any related problems and promote overall health as you navigate survivorship.
Learn More About Cancer Support Services
Genetic counseling
If you have a significant personal or family history of cancer, you may benefit from meeting with one of our board-certified genetic counselors. They can help you understand any cancer risks and learn strategies for managing or lowering those risks whenever possible.
Learn More About Genetic Counseling
Personalized rehabilitation
Sometimes gynecologic cancer treatment can affect your strength, mobility, endurance, and pelvic floor health. Our rehabilitation experts can design personalized programs to help you return to physical activity and maximize your quality of life.
Learn More About Cancer Rehabilitation
Survivorship
After treatment, talk to your doctor about a survivorship care plan which may involve:
- A recommended schedule for follow-up visits and imaging tests
- A personalized plan for managing any lingering cervical cancer treatment side effects
- Strategies for lowering your risk of recurrence
- And more...